When

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Presenters

  Sharon Sutherland is a mediator and mediation consultant, with expertise in conflict resolution training and program design.  Sharon was one of the first Project Managers of the BC Court Mediation Program (1998-2003). From 2000-2014, Sharon was a full-time faculty member at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law. From 2006-2010, Sharon worked with Mediate BC to develop a province-wide Child Protection Mediation Practicum aimed at increasing the number of child protection mediators in under-serviced parts of BC.  In her capacity as Manager of Development for this project, Sharon worked in partnership with a number of indigenous communities throughout the province to develop community-based and culturally appropriate mediation training.  She is currently applying her design expertise as a Knowledge Engineer in the development of the Civil Resolution Tribunal. Sharon is also part of a collective of conflict resolution professionals kickstarting a collaborative card game called Zombie Fight or Flight.

 Aiyaz Alibhai is an intellectual property lawyer who takes a creative, scientific and results-oriented approach to his practice. He provides strategic and practical advice on a wide range of intellectual property and information technology matters and transactions. His practice includes both counselling and litigation. He has appeared before the Federal Court and courts in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. He has also appeared before the Trademark Opposition Board and Patent Appeal Board. Aiyaz has worked with companies in many technology and knowledge industries, including aerospace, energy,  information technology industries, robotic, software, telecommunications and wireless technologies. He was an engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft prior to pursuing a career in law. He was a founder and a managing partner with a national intellectual property law firm. After obtaining his law degree, Aiyaz clerked with the British Columbia Supreme Court, and later practiced litigation and intellectual property law. Education LL.B., Dalhousie University, 1990; BASc (Mechanical Engineering), University of British Columbia, 1981. 

 Zara Suleman practices family law exclusively with a focus in fertility law and she is also a certified family law mediator and collaborative law practitioner. Zara has also been actively involved in presenting, training, writing and editing materials on family law issues. Prior to law school Zara was a front-line community advocate for over a decade, working extensively on issues involving violence against women and children, anti-racism, immigrant and refugee issues, legal aid reform, custody and access advocacy, anti-poverty initiatives and specific coalition work with South Asian women. Zara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Women's Studies from Simon Fraser University (1994); a Law degree from the University of Ottawa (2004); and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Victoria (2006). Zara has successfully represented clients through BC Provincial Court, BC Supreme Court and the BC Court of Appeal. Zara has been involved with West Coast Women's Legal Education & Action Fund (WCLEAF) for many years, while at West Coast LEAF Zara coordinated their research and intervention application in the Supreme Court of Canada case, Rick v. Brandsema. Zara currently sits on the WCLEAF Family Law Advisory. Zara is also a Board Member for the Rise Women’s Legal Centre. Zara works as a sole practitioner in her firm Suleman Family Law.